


morning after

by calthighway



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Mornings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:02:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28807791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calthighway/pseuds/calthighway
Summary: five times ben and callum wake up next to each other
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 8
Kudos: 98





	morning after

**one**

Ben wakes to the weight of something over his stomach and he thinks back to last night and groans when he can’t remember anything past leaving his place. _Alone._

He’s very much not alone now and he reaches his bed side table for his glasses. He looks down at the arm draped over him without daring to look at the face it belongs to.

“Morning,” comes the low and quiet voice next to him.

Ben chances a look now, no point avoiding someone who’s already in his bed. Someone who’s heard god knows what come out of his mouth in moments of passion.

“Mornin’,” Ben swallows, his mouth dry and his eyes burn from the sunrise coming through the blinds. Ben bites his lip, looks down the back of the man next to him – the marks from last night evident and Ben looks up towards his neck and sees the purple rising there too. Ben just _looks_ until he feels heat spread up his spine. “I can’t remember much from last night. Ugh, I drank so much.”

“Tell me about it,” the guy smiles slightly. “Ya made my night that’s for sure.”

“What did I do?” Ben huffs, snuggling a little into his pillow and finding the arm over him warm and comforting.

“Ya told me I was the most gorgeous man ya had ever seen and that ya were going to marry me one day.”

Ben feels his thumb stroke his skin a little then as if to say it’s ok and he tries not to think about it, instead shaking his head and covering his face. “That was the whiskey talking, alright?”

“So ya don’t think I’m gorgeous then?” He rises his eyebrows at the question.

“I’d give ya a 7…”

“I think I prefer ya when you’ve had a drink mate.”

Ben laughs, “I’m just joking _mate_.” Ben knows they’re somehow closer than they were when he woke up, but he doesn’t make a thing out of it, “I can’t remember ya name.”

“Maybe I didn’t tell ya in the first place.”

“Well, it would be good to know, ya know?”

“What? For next time, is it?”

Ben’s just _looking_ again until the guy is blushing and looking like he wants the ground to swallow him up because he’s said the wrong thing. “Sorry – “

“I want to know for next time,” Ben interrupts quickly, smirking when eyes on him light up and shoulders relax again.

“It’s Callum. My name is Callum,” he smiles.

Ben nods, “nice to meet ya, _Callum_.”

The way Ben moves closer until his head is on the same pillow as Callum’s feels natural and it’s instinct to lean his head back and whisper, “come ‘ere.”

Callum leans up on his elbow until he’s over Ben and he waits until Ben encourages him with a hand in his hair before moving in and kissing him.

Ben’s annoyed he can’t remember last night, but he’s definitely not going to forget a morning like this.

**two**

_Next time_ happens the weekend after and Ben doesn’t want to say he hasn’t left Callum alone since because it would be a lie.

They’d exchanged numbers and spoke every day. Conversation flowed easily between them, it almost felt too good to be true.

Ben wasn’t used to _feeling_ , to having an instant connection with someone. One-night stands were just that; there was no need for anything more.

“Pineapple on pizza?” Ben asks, as he straddles Callum in rumpled bed sheets.

Callum shakes his head, “absolutely not,” he replies, his hands massaging Ben’s thighs softly.

Ben smiles with approval, leaning down to press a kiss to Callum’s shoulder. “Tea or coffee?”

“Hot chocolate?” Callum says.

“With marshmallows?” Ben asks, his lips lingering close to Callum’s neck.

“Of course, and chocolate sprinkles.”

Ben kisses the skin in front of him with a smile on his lips. “Sweet tooth, huh?”

“Just a little. Explains the belly - “

Ben shoots up, his face falling slightly before he puts his hands over Callum’s belly. “Ain’t nothing wrong with ya.”

Callum looks shy and licks his lips at the sight of Ben’s intense stare on him. “Not sure that’s true.”

“I’m always right,” Ben shrugs. “Your flaws are what make ya you and you’re… lovely.”

“Ya really think?” Callum blinks up at him.

“I _know_ ,” Ben smirks, leaning down to kiss Callum until a moan escapes his lips and lands somewhere deep inside of him that makes his belly do a flip.

It feels fuzzy and warm and Ben wishes he could embrace it, but fear blocks it, so he pulls away and crawls down the length of Callum’s body, pressing kisses down the side of Callum’s waist and along his belly until he reaches what he wants.

Callum’s hands pull at his hair and he’s glad of the roughness and eagerness of it.

Ben lays down next to him after, their breathing heavy, there must be some kind of invisible magnet between them because Ben feels that pull again that makes this feel more than just a bit of sex. Callum holds him close, his hand in his damp hair all soft and almost caring, makes Ben close his eyes against the feeling.

“I love your bed hair,” Callum says, and Ben can sense the smile on his lips without even looking and Ben knows that’s a scary thing to know – knows it has to mean _something_.

Ben doesn’t say anything, just tries to hold onto something that will stop him from falling.

“Just for the record,” Callum continues, “I think you’re proper lovely, too.”

Ben sighs gently, his teeth pulling and biting on lose skin from his bottom lip. He knows his grip is loose.

He’s falling at high speed.

**three**

This time they’re at Callum’s place. Callum had made them chicken pasta and they’d had excessive amounts of ice cream for afters even though it was the middle of winter and early hours in the morning.

Ben had complained of feeling sick after, but it just made Callum laugh until he was running him a warm bath, but Ben didn’t want it to be another thing that made him go all _soft_ over Callum, so he stripped him of his clothing too and made him bathe with him.

Ben lost count of how many times they’d had sex, but that’s what he needed. He needed to keep it too just _that_ because that’s all this ever was.

Ben wakes to the smell of coffee and breakfast under his nostrils. He looks up to see Callum standing by him.

“Breakfast in bed?” Ben asks, sitting up with a yawn.

Callum grins, “of course. Gotta look after ya, haven’t I?”

Ben can’t help but smile, especially when Callum kisses the top of his head and he sees the smiley face drawn onto his egg.

“You’re putting me to shame,” Ben clears his throat.

Callum joins him in bed with a mug of hot chocolate, shakes his head. “Ya just have other ways of waking me up in the morning, don’t ya?”

Ben smirks, sipping his coffee. “Call it my love language.”

 _What a stupid thing to say_ , Ben scratches his eyebrow awkwardly, but Callum just blushes with a smile.

“What, morning sex?”

Ben nods, cracking open his egg. “Best way to start the day, don’t ya think?”

“Ain’t bad,” Callum supposes, blowing on his drink.

Ben turns to see the look in Callum’s eyes. It’s one of thoughts that aren’t so sweet and innocent, and it has Ben moving his food aside so he can get onto Callum’s lap.

“What ya thinking?” Ben whispers, brushing his nose against Callum’s.

“About last night,” Callum admits, “about all the other times we’ve had sex.” Callum cups Ben’s head in his hands, “about how amazing it all is.”

Something unsaid hangs in the air, Ben’s too scared to hear it so he gets closer to kiss Callum until he’s on his back.

It doesn’t seem to work though; Callum pulls away slightly. His eyes soft as he asks, “don’t ya ever think of us having more?”

“Why ruin it? We are good, yeah?”

Callum nods, rubs his thumb across Ben’s cheek. “Yeah,” Callum agrees. “We are more than _good_ , that’s why a night here and there ain’t enough anymore, Ben. I want more.”

Ben shakes his head a little, pulling away to look up at the ceiling. “What if I can’t give ya more?”

Callum frowns, brings Bens head back down by his chin until they’re looking at each other again. “You already are. I’ve met ya and I know I don’t have to look anymore.”

“You’re too good for me,” Ben mumbles, and when he says it, he realises that’s what he always thought.

“That’s not true at all,” Callum’s voice is stern and it’s the most serious Ben’s ever seen him. “Let me decide what I deserve, yeah?”

Ben’s body relaxes under Callum’s warm gaze and he finds himself nodding a little. “Alright.”

“So, does that mean you’re my boyfriend now?”

“Ya don’t waste your time do ya?” Ben teases to try and disguise the butterflies going crazy.

“I know what I want,” Callum kisses Ben’s chin. “And I think ya want the same.” Callum smiles up at him, “we will be in it together, yeah?”

Ben takes a deep breath, knows he’s crazy for wanting it because it’s what he’s been scared of from the beginning, but everything is screaming and pushing him to just do it. To have something as good as this and not feel unworthy.

Ben nods with a smile that has Callum looking at him as if he’s responsible for the morning sunrise outside. “You’re my boyfriend,” Ben clarifies, hiding his face in Callum’s neck and laughing when Callum turns them until Ben’s on his back.

The next hour is nothing but pure bliss.

**four**

They move in together, because again, it feels like the most natural thing to do.

Ben wakes up to Callum already awake and looking at him. He smiles fondly and Ben just smirks, “can’t take ya eyes off me, can ya?”

“Shut up Ben,” Callum rolls his eyes, but there’s no heat behind it. “What do ya want to do today?”

Ben moves closer, pulling the blanket over him further and resting his head on Callum’s chest. “Stay here all day. Sundays are made to do nothing.”

Callum hums into Ben’s hair, his fingers stroking up and down Ben’s back. “Thought we could move some more of your stuff in? I’ve sorted ya out some draws and the wardrobe- “

Ben looks up at him with a smile, “you always this… _soft_?”

Callum shuts him up with a kiss, “maybe it’s just because I love ya.”

Callum has that look on his face again when he thinks he’s done or said the wrong thing, but he _really_ hasn’t because no matter how much Ben finds it hard to believe, he knows Callum’s telling him the truth.

“You love me?” Ben whispers, curling his fingers into Callum’s t-shirt.

Callum nods, “isn’t it obvious?”

Ben grins, kisses Callum softly and wraps his arm around his waist until his fingers can reach Callum’s back and he spells out ‘I <3 U.’

Callum breathes Ben and his gesture in, almost as if he’s the one disbelieving of someone’s love.

“Let’s just stay here all day,” Callum later agrees.

Callum moans and sighs words of endearment into Ben’s mouth, ears and skin for the rest of the day until the sun goes down.

**five**

Ben’s fingers link with Callum’s and his eyes get drawn to the gold bands on their hands. It’s their first morning waking up as husbands.

“Can’t believe it,” Callum says, kisses Ben’s check softly. “Actually married, never saw that coming.”

“I did,” Ben says smugly, “I told ya I was going to marry ya when I first met ya and look at us now. Also told ya that I’m never wrong.”

“That means I’m the most gorgeous man you’ve ever met then?” Callum laughs a little, just joking.

Ben squeezes his hand tightly, “I guess so. You’re the most important thing in the world to me.”

Callum’s kiss is soft, and Ben clings on for as long as possible. Hopeful for the morning and the morning after.


End file.
